Key Highlights:
- Real-world assets (RWA) are turned into blockchain tokens.
- Types include gold, real-estate, loans and financial infrastructure.
- Gold-backed tokens are the most used token within this sector.
There was a time when crypto was all about Bitcoin and Ethereum, and maybe a few other stablecoins. As time passed by, the crypto industry leveled up and it has entered the Real-World Asset market, where real things like houses, gold, or loans, basically anything that you can buy, sell or trade is available digitally on the blockchain. One can even think of stuff like US Treasuries, trade deals, real estate or gold, all of them converted into digital tokens can be traded or earned interest upon.
This shift to blockchain has come to life because blockchain carries out transactions faster, the transactions are more transparent, and easier to trade. One does not need piles of paperwork, there is no wait game for the settlement of the transactions, the entire process is overall considered way more convenient than the traditional ways.
As of today, according to CoinGecko, the market capitalization of RWA cryptocurrencies stands at $55.4 billion. This is a huge amount and it clearly indicates that a huge chunk of money is being invested in digital form. Investors are now getting access to fixed income, collateral-backed loans, and yield products straight through crypto platforms.
Crypto has come a long way and now its is not just about digital coins anymore as it is practically bridging the real world with the blockchain world. And the coins leading this charge? They are the ones that are taking money tech in a whole new level. Let’s quickly have a look at top cryptocurrencies that have their tokens linked to RWA.
Tether Gold ($XAUT)
XAUT is a crypto token that is backed by physical gold and this gold is stored in Swiss vaults. Each XAUT represents one troy ounce of gold, so holding XAUT is basically holding gold that is converted into its digital form.
At the end of 2025, XAUT held about 60% of the global tokenized gold market, and made it one of the most dominant players amongst gold-backed tokens. Paolo Ardoino stated that “Through Tether Gold, we are operating at a scale that places the Tether Gold Investment Fund alongside sovereign gold holders, and that carries real responsibility. XAUT exists to remove ambiguity at a time when confidence in monetary system is weakening and it is being put through a pressure test by both institutions and people.”
Currently the market capitalization stands at $2.62 billion and the price hit its highest at $5,597.10 on January 29, 2026 as per CoinMarketCap.
PAX Gold ($PAXG)
PAX Gold ($PAXG) is a crypto token that is directly backed by real physical gold. Each PAXG token represents one fine troy ounce of gold, that is stored in professional vaults. So when one invests in PAXG, they are practically owning real gold that is converted into a digital form.
This token is known for combining the stability of gold with the flexibility of crypto. Moreover, the issuance of the token is carried out by a regulated company, which provides a clear proof of reserves, and is widely supported across various exchanges and DeFi platforms.
This token has grown significantly and its market cap has surpassed the $2 billion mark as more and more people are getting exposure to gold on the blockchain. Currently the market cap of the token stands at $2.32 billion and the price is hovering around the $5,550 mark as per CoinMarketCap.
ONDO Finance ($ONDO)
Ondo Finance has linked its native token ONDO to US Treasuries and has brought these RWA on to the blockchain. Ondo here buys real-world assets like the US government bonds through their regulated partners. These are the same low-risk assets banks and institutions use. Those assets then get wrapped into tokens like OUSG and USDY that represent assets on the blockchain. So practically, when investors buy ONDO tokens, they are buying the bond. The value and yield comes from the real asset behind it.
As these US Treasuries generate income, that yield flows back to the token holders. So your crypto earns money the same way traditional finance does but this is on chain.
The project is not limiting itself to just US Treasuries but it is rolling its RWA products onto more blockchains, improving access and liquidity. It has also launched Ondo Global Markets which brings tokenized US stocks and ETFs on-chain, and it has also developed Ondo chain, for real-world assets. These upgrades indicate that Ondo is evolving into a full-stack RWA platform connecting traditional finance with crypto.
Currently the price of the token is hovering around $0.32 with a market cap of $1.59 billion as per CoinMarketCap.
Chainlink ($LINK) and Quant ($QNT): The RWA Helpers
LINK and QNT do not represent real-world assets themselves but they are critical infrastructures for RWAs.
Chainlink (LINK): Acts as a trusted oracle, bringing real-world data (like gold-prices, interest rates, or proof-of-reserve) onto the blockchain. This makes sure that the tokenized assets such as PAXG, Ondo or Propy stay accurate and verifiable on-chain. Currently the market cap stands at $8 billion and the price of the token stands at $11.57 as per CoinMarketCap.
Quant (QNT): Powers interoperability across blockchains and traditional finance systems. It lets RWA move, settle and interact across multiple networks securely, which is necessary for institutional adoption. The market cap of the token stands at $894 million and the price of the token stands at $74.04 as per CoinMarketCap.
Propy ($PRO)
Propy is also a well-known real-world asset in crypto because it brings actual real estate onto the blockchain. The PRO token lets investors buy, sell and track property titles, join tokenized deals and even tap into crypto-backed mortgages.
Investors can easily own a piece of residential or commercial property globally, all without the hassle of all the paperwork that is usually needed and the long settlement wait that the investors usually face when buying property off-chain.
It has been observed that currently, the prices of the token have been dipping, and it is mostly because of crypto market swings, short-term selling and some regulatory uncertainty around real-world asset tokens. However, Propy is still growing its listing and is providing real estate around the world.
Currently the market cap of the token stands at $34.87M and the price of the token is hovering at $0.35 as per CoinMarketCap.
Final Thoughts
From the above data it can be deduced that gold is the popular RWA, while Chainlink’s high market cap shows how crucial data is for these assets. Together these tokens all major asset types, making the blockchain a place where you can trade, and earn from real world assets.
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